Year After Year
by Writing Fangirl for hire
Summary: Haymitch Abernathy was the District 12 Tribute and the winner of the 50th Annual Hunger Games and 2nd Quarter Quell. Effie has been the escort for District 12 ever since the 65th Hunger Games. Through trial, love is born. But it may take a blessing to bring it to the surface. Haymitch/Effie, Heffie.


Love is a tricky, fickle, _weird _thing. It's like, you find a random human being and you're just like, "Yep, I like this one. I think I'll stick around and ruin their lives while simultaneously making them better." Then, when you and this person have ruined and made each others lives better enough, you call it love.

This is how the purest of loves forms, through trials and through blessings. The more trials that love goes through, the more amazing the blessings are.

But what happens when culture and society does not allow two people to follow their path of love?

If the love is true and pure, they will fight for it.

And boy do they fight.

Haymitch Abernathy was a tribute from District 12 in the 50th Annual Hunger Games 2nd Quarter Quell; the year after that, and ever since, he's been the sole mentor for the male and female tributes of District 12. At first he tried so very hard to help. He taught them everything that he could for how he won. Year after year he shared his tactics. Year after year he watched his tributes be some of the quickest to go.

The year of the 65th Annual Hunger Games, Effie Trinket became the escort for District 12's tributes. In the beginning, 20 year old Effie treated 21 year old Haymitch with extreme respect and awe. She was fifteen during his games and had thought that it was the best Game she'd seen. She didn't tell the sultry young man that.

At the beginning of her career as escort, Effie was extremely nice to the tributes and treated the kids like her own siblings; Haymitch watched warily as Effie actually tried to befriend these kids. But year after year, Effie tried a little less, but ended up loving the kids some anyway. Hairy, dirty, disgusting, it didn't because no matter how hard Effie tried not to, these kids found a place in her heart.

As the years continued, Haymitch and Effie were the only consistent occupants of the train. Each year, Haymitch would be a little more drunk and Effie would be a little more stone-faced. Each year they went through trial after trial of losing these kids. Going into the Capital with them, but not returning with them.

By the time of the 74th Hunger Games, Haymitch was half sure that he wouldn't make it to the next Games and Effie was half sure that she wouldn't be able to love anyone.

Once again, Effie tried hard not to grow attached to the two tributes, Katniss and Peeta. Once again she failed. Katniss had volunteered for her sister, which immediately endeared her to the hearts of everyone. Peeta was charming, polite, and disarming.

Haymitch on the other hand, wasn't particularly helpful. He found fault in both Katniss and Peeta. Katniss wasn't likeable, Peeta couldn't hunt. He couldn't expect for either of them to live. But when Peeta came to him and told him about his crush on Katniss and how he thought he could use it to both of their's advantages, Haymitch wondered whether he had a winner. Peeta was strong and tactical while Katniss was a hunter and would be able to understand Haymitch. With love thrown in the mix, Haymitch saw a possibility to bring one of them home.

With Cinna's help in making them memorable, Haymitch believed he could do it. He stopped drinking so much and tried to actually help. Effie did too, helping in trying to rope in sponsors, discussing tactics with Haymitch, and talking up the love story.

When Katniss and Peeta were in the last four, Effie and Haymitch hardly left the screens in the tribute center. Waiting patiently together.

Last three and Effie was practically going to pull her wig off. When Claudias Templesmith made the announcement of the rule change, Effie screamed and pulled her legs up to her knees, tears in her eyes. Haymitch rubbed her back soothingly, until he saw Katniss pull out the berries. He started yelling explicetives at the girl on the screen. Until a hurried Claudias Templesmith announced that Katniss and Peeta had won.

Haymitch and Effie were there as they brought Katniss and Peeta back. That night Haymitch was walking around the training center and couldn't find Effie. Eventually he walked up to the roof.

A figure with a pink wig stood leaning her hands on the ledge of the roof. Beside her was a glass filled with an orange tinted liquid. She grabbed it and took a big drink of it.

"Want a drink Haymitch?" Effie asked. Haymitch came and leaned against the ledge next to her.

"No thanks, I'm good," He answers. He looks over at her softly and, not for the first time but for the first meaningful time, noticed her beauty. He grins softly in the darkness, the only light coming from the Capital below.

"We finally did it," Effie said quietly, her voice sounded a bit scratchy from her having been crying and from the drink.

"Yeah, we finally did." Effie shook her head in amazement. Another tear ran down her already tear stained cheeks. Haymitch reached over and rubbed it off softly.

"I stopped believing that we could," she said quietly. She finally turned to Haymitch, "I was almost ready to hand in my position."

"Why?" Haymitch asked, heart straining.

"None of our tributes made it home. And you never gave me much of a reason," Effie said, the last part was barely above a whisper. Haymitch felt his heart clench. He took her hand in his gently.

"Do you think you could ever forgive an old drunk?" Haymitch asked.

"What for?"

"For not expressing himself." Effie smiled a ghost of a shadow.

"Only if he will finally express himself," She said. Haymitch smiled and cupped her face in his hands. Lightly he pulled her to him, into a kiss. Effie closes her eyes and puts her hands on Haymitch's shoulder. They separated slowly.

"Don't hand in your position," Haymitch said quietly, "I couldn't do this with anybody else." Effie smiled.

"Never," Effie said, "You can't replace me."

Haymitch and Effie walked back to their rooms hand in hand.


End file.
